I have been running a Fluval Evo for a while, with softies and a quite a few LPS, with reasonable success using the stock light.
I've had a second Evo running for several months as a grow out tank and had a spare AI Prime 16 HD, so I thought I'd try some SPS. Now I know that the tank has not been running that long and it is only a Nano, so I was always going to find this a struggle, but I have started losing all of the Acros within a couple of weeks. I am working on improving the stability (which generally doesn't seem too bad although I am struggling to keep nitrate up) but my biggest confusion is how best to set up the lighting.
The main question that I have is that the AI prime is causing a lot of shadowing; this isn't from the rocks but from the coral itself. As it is a point light source then unless the coral points directly at the light (which won't happen with branching type corals) then the underside will always be shadowed. Other people seem to be growing SPS using a single AI Prime but I don't understand how. It is obvious that the areas in the shadows aren't doing well.
Is there any way around this? At the moment I can't see any way forward other than supplemental lighting or a different LED with more light pucks (or a second AI Prime).
Also, is there any way to tell if I am using too much or not enough light? I've seen wildly different settings and I can't tell if I am burning the corals with too much light, or not given them enough. Some of the settings that I have downloaded vary wildly. Unfortunately, I don't have a PAR meter.
I think some of my current SPS are beyond help (the 2 Birdsnests and the Montis all seem to be ok) but I'm not ready to give up yet. I do want to try to learn some more before I try adding any more corals though.
I've had a second Evo running for several months as a grow out tank and had a spare AI Prime 16 HD, so I thought I'd try some SPS. Now I know that the tank has not been running that long and it is only a Nano, so I was always going to find this a struggle, but I have started losing all of the Acros within a couple of weeks. I am working on improving the stability (which generally doesn't seem too bad although I am struggling to keep nitrate up) but my biggest confusion is how best to set up the lighting.
The main question that I have is that the AI prime is causing a lot of shadowing; this isn't from the rocks but from the coral itself. As it is a point light source then unless the coral points directly at the light (which won't happen with branching type corals) then the underside will always be shadowed. Other people seem to be growing SPS using a single AI Prime but I don't understand how. It is obvious that the areas in the shadows aren't doing well.
Is there any way around this? At the moment I can't see any way forward other than supplemental lighting or a different LED with more light pucks (or a second AI Prime).
Also, is there any way to tell if I am using too much or not enough light? I've seen wildly different settings and I can't tell if I am burning the corals with too much light, or not given them enough. Some of the settings that I have downloaded vary wildly. Unfortunately, I don't have a PAR meter.
I think some of my current SPS are beyond help (the 2 Birdsnests and the Montis all seem to be ok) but I'm not ready to give up yet. I do want to try to learn some more before I try adding any more corals though.